Meriden Boy, 6, Signs with UNH Football Team

MERIDEN, CT — The newest member of the UNH football team may be small in stature but is as tough as they come and has a smile that lights up the room.

UNH announced the signing of Jeshua Lopez, 6, of Meriden, and held a special Draft Day event on Sunday to officially welcome him into the Charger Nation Family. Lopez comes to UNH through a partnership with the Team IMPACT program whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of team.

"Jeshua is a great addition to our program," UNH head football coach Chris Pincince said. “Partnering with Team IMPACT and having the opportunity to support Jeshua and his family is an inspirational experience. His infectious smile and relentless work ethic fits into our program seamlessly. We are excited to spend more time with Jeshua and his family."

Jeshua was recently diagnosed with Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID), a disorder that impairs the immune system. People with CVID are at a higher risk for developing infections, including pneumonia. Because of his condition, Jeshua has been in and out of the hospital his entire life, which also keeps him out of school.

Team advocates Collin Hill (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional), Tyler Condit (Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell), Zach Voytek (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull), Eliot Leubner (Rochester, N.Y./Rush Henrietta), Andrew Parent (Franklin, Mass./Franklin), Ajee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune), Chris Liggio (Mount Laurel, N.J./Holy Cross) and Kevin Robinson (East Orange, N.J./Montclair) were all influential in the matching process and entire Charger football team is excited to add Jeshua to the roster, according to a press release.

Pincince and the team advocates met Jeshua this past summer and have been spending time with him and his family since.

"We are very excited to add Jeshua to our program," said Hill, a senior wide receiver. "Having the opportunity to impact someone's life is enriching. When we first met Jeshua he smiled and handed us one of his bracelets, with 'Team Jeshua' and his illness on it. I continue to wear that bracelet daily. He doesn't talk much, but that smile really moves you."

Jeshua made his initial visit to campus on Sept. 18 after the Chargers defeated Saint Anselm 52-21 at DellaCamera Stadium. He also attend his first game on the Blue and Gold turf on Oct. 1 when the Chargers hosted rival Southern Connecticut State University.

About Team IMPACT: Team IMPACT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit national organization, based in Boston, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of team. Team IMPACT children are drafted on to college athletic teams, local to where they live and, in effect, become official members of the team from Draft Day through to Graduation. Established in 2011, Team IMPACT has already matched over 1000 children with collegiate teams at over 430 institutions in 45 states, improving the quality of life of hundreds of courageous children and touching the lives of over 30,000 student athletes. Visit www.GoTeamIMPACT.org to learn more.

Photos and video courtesy of UNH Athletics